Madonna wants to tell her own story. The "Material Girl" singer is the writer and director behind her upcoming feature-length biopic. It will follow the early days of her prolific career, including her iconic Blonde Ambition tour.
In a new interview with Variety, she shared that she wants to be the one to tell her life story — not "misogynistic men."
Madonna and Universal Pictures first announced the upcoming biopic in September 2020. Universal Filmed Entertainment Group chairman Donna Langley won the script after a multi-studio bidding war. Amy Pascal is set to produce.
She has some history with this, as she previously directed the movies W.E. and Filth and Wisdom. She will also get some help from Oscar-winning screenwriter Diablo Cody.
As for who will play the lead role of Madonna, that role was reportedly given to Julia Garner of Ozark and Inventing Anna fame.
Since the film will heavily focus on music and dancing, casting director Carmen Cuba led a boot camp with the final five actresses up for the role of Madonna.
In addition to Julia, Julia Fox (Uncut Gems, PVT Chat, and No Sudden Move) is rumored to play Madonna’s longtime friend and fellow actress Debi Mazar.
"The focus of this film will always be music," she continued.
"There are so many untold and inspiring stories and who better to tell it than me. It’s essential to share the roller coaster ride of my life with my voice and vision.”
"It's a pretty crazy experience so far, I'm just in the writing process, and just deciding which stories to tell, how much detail to go into, which characters to develop," Madonna shared to the Associated Press.
She has written several Grammy-winning songs, so there should be no doubt that she'll do the script justice.
Langley has even praised Madonna as “the ultimate icon, humanitarian, artist and rebel.”
In an interview with Variety, she began by sharing the status of the script. "I have a very long script that is really hard for me to make shorter. I’ve been whittling away at it, but it’s like hacking off my limbs.”
“Mostly misogynistic men. So I put my foot in the door and said, ‘No one’s going to tell my story but me.'”
“I’ve had an extraordinary life, I must make an extraordinary film," the artist shared with the publication.
During an October 2021 appearance on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” Madonna said that studios once tried to have her life story directed by a man who had “no understanding of women.”
“There’s nothing true in the script, the guy who’s making it has no understanding of women. No appreciation for women. No respect for women.”
"I had to like call people up — call up the heads of studios, call up my agents — threaten them and say that I will stand in front of the building and protest and make everybody’s life a misery if they go through with it."
A movie isn't the only place where Madonna is trying to take ownership of her incredible life's work.
In the interview with Variety, she also shared why she refuses to sell her music.
But Madonna wants no part of that — not now, not ever.
This gives her all the freedom she needs to accomplish the dreams she has of introducing her music to a new generation.
"I’m just looking for interesting, fun ways to rerelease my catalog and introduce my music to a new generation," she told Variety.
"The whole thing with 'Frozen' was so fun, but I woke up one day and went, “I’m sick of living in the past!” I want to go on tour again, I’m a creature of the stage. That is my happy place."
H/T: Variety
